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Angry Mob Attacks, Burns Lesbian Couple + Their Kids

Posted by on Aug 25, 2011 in Crime | 24 comments

The good folks of Harlan County, Kentucky celebrated the 4th of July this year by turning their fireworks on a lesbian couple and their family, burning their son and 80-year-old grandmother. Verbal sparks flew as well – the angry mob called the two mothers “pussy licking whores” and “dykes” during the attack.

After the family had been sufficiently burned, someone from the mob shouted, “”If you want to look like a man, let’s see you fight like one,” before two dozen people proceeded to beat Misty Turner and Brandy Standifer in a church parking lot – again, in front of their children.

The violent attacks left the two women with a broken rib, bruises, a man’s shoe print in Standifer’s back, and a head injury resulting in bleeding in Turner’s sinus cavity. The extent of Turner’s head trauma is still unknown, as she’s currently undergoing testing.

The women were able to identify three of their assailants, and have sought felony indictments against them. But when the women had their day in court, they were attacked all over again in a new way.

Turner said that at the earlier court hearing for Saylor and Howard, their families were allowed in the courtroom, but her family members were not.

She also said Doan asked her questions she felt were derogatory, such as whether she promoted a lesbian lifestyle and still had custody of her children even though she is a lesbian.

Asked about the comments, Doan said, “I did my job as a lawyer representing my client.”

Turner contacted the Kentucky Equality Federation after the hearing, concerned that her sexuality would hurt the case against those charged.

Kentucky has a hate-crime law, but officers with the federation said they were not aware of it ever being used in southeastern Kentucky.

Understandably unsatisfied with the local police and legal systems failure to protect their family, as well as punish those responsible for literally trying to set them on fire, Turner and Standifer have asked the U.S. Justice Department to become involved in helping them bring hate crime charges against their attackers, as well as an investigation into the anti-gay discrimination the two women faced in court following their terrible ordeal.

Everything about this story makes us sick. The hateful attack of two mothers on Independence Day in a church parking lot in front of their children – this is absolutely deplorable. We sincerely hope that the Justice Department is successful in bringing Southeastern Kentucky it’s first hate crime charges, and teaching Harlan County a powerful lesson.

Jerks.

(via Kentucky.com & KY Equality)